What Can Chinese Medicine Treat?

Chinese Medicine theory provides a comprehensive framework for understanding the body’s function and dysfunction. In Chinese medicine, the body is viewed as an interconnected ecosystem, where each aspect is as important as the next. The goal is to achieve balance within the ecosystem in order to attain health and well-being. Treatments are focused on the individual as a whole rather than isolated symptoms of an injury or illness. Therefore, Chinese medicine treatments are not confined to diagnosis. Offering versatile solutions, Chinese medicine treats a wide variety of conditions, particularly conditions that are deemed stubborn or confusing by Western medicine, such as autoimmune disorders.

Sports Acupuncture/Dry Needling & Chinese Medicine

Treating physical injury has been a foundational aspect of Chinese medicine since ancient China's Warring States Period (ca. 475-221 B.C.). Out of necessity, the medicine became very physically focused in order to treat traumatic injuries on the battlefield. The study of martial arts was also closely connected to the study of medical arts. Understanding human anatomy offered a strong advantage in fighting since one could better understand the vulnerabilities of the human body. Bodywork and acupuncture were known to be highly effective at treating musculoskeletal injuries. Herbal liniments, plasters, and internal formulas were also used to treat traumatic injuries. The famous Shaolin monks/physicians studied both martial arts and medical arts. With that said Chinese medicine is extremely effective in treating orthopedic injuries, pain management, and acute, chronic, and complex pain syndromes.

Today, the field of orthopedics in Chinese medicine continues to grow. Physical Therapists and Chiropractors now recognize the benefit of using filiform or dry needles (solid needles that do not inject medication, hence the ‘dry’ designation) to treat musculoskeletal issues. Dry needling has become a popular treatment for orthopedic and sports injuries. Whether referred to as acupuncture or dry needling, treatment can improve muscle strength and flexibility and prevent future injury. In terms of sports recovery, acupuncture can significantly reduce pain after injury and help with routine recovery, such as delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). Through orthopedic acupuncture and bodywork, Chinese medicine treats acute and chronic injuries and conditions such as pain, inflammation, sprains, strains, sciatica, and arthritis. Not only can acupuncture successfully treat and prevent injury, but it can also effectively enhance elite performance for athletes. Whether you are a seasoned athlete looking to support muscle recovery or someone dealing with acute or chronic pain, Chinese medicine can help!

Internal Health Conditions & Chinese Medicine

Chinese medicine believes there is no separation between the mind, body, and spirit. Treatment of the physical body results in treatment of the psycho-emotional self as well. Chinese medicine’s comprehensive understanding of the interconnectedness of the physical and non-physical aspects of the mind, body, and spirit continuum is a foundational aspect of its success in treating patterns such as anxiety, stress, insomnia, addiction, and depression, to name a few. Chinese medicine also excels in the treatment of complex and difficult-to-treat illness patterns causing conditions such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, and many more. In Chinese medicine, treatment is focused on the individual rather than disease names or symptoms. Bian zheng lun zhi - 辨證論治, meaning that treatment methods and strategies are performed based on a person’s unique presentation.

Another facet of Chinese medicine relates to epidemiology and treating illnesses such as the common cold, flu, and COVID-19. Chinese medicine has also shown its ability to treat long-COVID and post-viral fatigue syndrome (chronic fatigue). Historically, China has experienced many episodes of epidemics ranging from plagues to infectious diseases. Thousands of years ago, Chinese scholar physicians began to develop strategies to prevent and treat outbreaks, drawing upon their understanding of how external pathogens interact with the body. Two major Chinese medical classics arose from epidemic outbreaks. The first, Treatise on Cold Injury / Shang Han Lun - 傷寒論, is arguably one of the most important Chinese medical texts to date. It was written by Zhang Zhongjing in the Eastern Han dynasty (ca. 25-220 C.E.) after he watched two-thirds of his 200-member family die of illness in less than ten years. This devastation led him to compile strategies and formulas that treated the influenza of the time into a complete medical text. Zhang Zhongjing was the earliest doctor to describe the stages of pathology in the body from external pathogenic factors.

Fast forward to the late Ming and Qing Dynasties (ca. 1600), when scholar physician Wu Youke (1592-1672) developed the idea of pestilent qi (li qi) — which explained infectious factors as the etiology of communicable diseases. He asserted that pathogenic factors enter through the nose and mouth. Ye Tianshi (1667-1746) and Wu Jutong (1758-1836) expanded upon these ideas, and the Warm Disease Theory / Wen Bing Xue - 温 病 学 was established. Rather than a single classical text, during this era, a handful of medical texts were written about Wen Bing Xue. Even though Wen Bing Xue was referenced in ancient texts, it was not fully developed as an independent system until the Qing Dynasty. At its core, Wen Bing Xue is based on ancient classics such as the Nei Jing (Inner Classic) and Shang Han Lun (Discussion of Cold Damage). The particular strategies of Wen Bing Xue evolved to deal with the clinical realities of the time that past theories could not fully address. Wen Bing doctors did not simply dismiss past theories; instead, many built upon the past while adapting to modern medical needs. Wen Bing Xue demonstrates a wide variety of strategies, including Shang Han Lun theory.